United Firefighters Union ACT Branch Secretary, Greg McConville, has welcomed the ACT Government's budget decision to allocate $2.3 million for new protective outerwear firefighting garments. A story on this item appeared in the Canberra Times on 23 January 2019. The clothing will consist of an outer tunic and over pants, in addition to the funding for new flamepoof, … [Read more...]
Fire safety worries grow re high-rises and apartments built in Canberra
More reports are starting to emerge about the fire safety risks posed by the growth in high-rise apartments, as well as sub-standard design and construction practices in apartment buildings, in Canberra. In a report from The Canberra Times on 3 February 2019, an expert warns that "sloppy commissioning and maintenance of fire prevention systems could put lives at risk" as … [Read more...]
Fire station renovations: ‘A litany of disasters’
A story in the Canberra Times on 3 February 2019 sums up a range of concerns about the construction and renovation of Canberra's fire stations identified by the UFU: "Rooftop solar panels that haven't been activated for nearly four years, slippery floors that had to be repainted twice and CCTV cameras that could have captured footage of criminals if only they'd been switched … [Read more...]
UFU calls for new stations, uniforms and staff in ACT Budget submission
A report in the Canberra Times of 24 November 2018 identified that the UFU "has called for the funding of two new recruit courses, new uniforms and two new fire stations" in its submission outlining funding priorities for next year's ACT budget." … [Read more...]
UFU concerned about plans to alter ACT ‘triple 0’ centre staffing arrangements
The UFU is concerned about plans to expand the ACT's fire and ambulance emergency call centre while at the same time phasing out the role of firefighters and replacing them with civilians, reports the Canberra Times on 23 December 2018. … [Read more...]